After assessing the situation in the Home Front and Northern Commands: The IDF recommends that the government cancel the Lag BaOmer celebration events on Mount Meron, which will take place in about three weeks.
The IDF assumes that the rocket fire by the terrorist organization Hezbollah towards Mount Meron will continue in the coming month, and therefore the army has decided to recommend not holding the Rashbi's celebration in Zion on Mount Meron this year, in any format.
The IDF Spokesperson's Office stated: "In accordance with the latest operational situation assessment, the IDF has recommended to the relevant authorities the cancellation of the Rashbi celebration events on Mount Meron, which are expected to take place between May 25-26, 2024. There are no further changes in the instructions for the home front.".
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As a result, Mount Meron is expected to be declared a closed military area during the week before Lag B'Omer - which this year falls on Saturday and Sunday - under enforcement by the police and military police.
But now the security forces will face an equally difficult challenge: how to prevent attempts to infiltrate the Mount, and enforce the ban on entry for tens of thousands of worshippers on the day of the festival.
Officials in the Israel Police and the Ministry of Jerusalem and Israeli Tradition clarified that there is still no plan for a limited celebration, and only after a decision is made by the Home Front Command will it be possible to formulate a plan that will safely preserve the tradition in place.
Although the army recommends not holding the event, Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai, Northern District Commander Major Shuki Tahauke, Meron Project Director Yossi Deitch, Deputy Director of the Ministry of Jerusalem and Jewish Tradition Haim Rosenstein, and other senior officials from the command staff conducted a tour of Mount Meron yesterday, while leaving room for the celebration to take place in a limited format.
The police statement reads: The headquarters' work and discussions are being conducted with the understanding that, given the security situation, it may not be possible to hold the event with mass participation as every year.
The Commissioner received an overview from the participants regarding the preparations of all the parties involved in the headquarters' work, and the various options available to decision-makers in accordance with the required security and safety conditions.
At this stage, the work on the mountain complex is focused only on permanent infrastructure, which will be used by the public visiting the mountain in the coming years.
""We are preparing for every scenario," said the police commissioner. "The final decision on how to hold the event will be made in the coming days by the Home Front Command, together with security officials and the political echelon.".
